


Any Other Way

by HaughtScot



Category: Wynonna Earp - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Introspective Nicole, Jealousy, WHW 2020, Wayhaught Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22692802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaughtScot/pseuds/HaughtScot
Summary: Nicole Haught has never considered herself to be a jealous person. But sometimes, she just can’t help it.
Relationships: Nicole Haught & Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp & Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 10
Kudos: 167





	Any Other Way

**Author's Note:**

> Another quick piece for WayHaught Week 2020, this time based on the prompt of jealousy.

Nicole Haught has never considered herself to be a jealous person. She had come to the realisation when she was still pretty young that jealousy didn’t get her what she wanted, and since then, she didn’t see the point of expending energy on it. 

Sure, she’d sometimes envied what her friends had when they were growing up, although not the material things; she had plenty of those. What she did lack was a close family: the loving parents, the siblings to fight with and defend and protect. Her own parents, when they were actually around and not travelling for work, were often distant and rarely involved in her life. 

Observing friends with their families, parents at basketball games, even the relentless teasing of brothers and sisters, that’s when she felt envious. Even then, she had an aunt and uncle who were always warm, affectionate and welcoming to her, and a handful of good friends that meant she was happy enough growing up.

She carried that through her time at college and the academy, working, it sometimes felt, twice as hard as those around her to put herself through school. Effectively cut off by her parents when she’d announced her intention to join the force, she knew she had no other choice to pay her own way, and she never felt jealous of those that had generous parents behind them. Instead, she was proud of her independence, and her achievements felt that much more special to her.

Sitting on the steps of the homestead porch watching the scene in front of her, Nicole thinks back to her first weeks in Purgatory, and more specifically, her first interactions with Waverly Earp. That initial pang that she felt, unexpected and unwelcome, when Waverly blurted out that she had a boy-man, smoothly (she hoped) covered up with a blithe comment. 

It only intensified that day in the bar after Shorty died, watching Champ paw at Waverly with his meaty hands and tattoos and too-bright teeth. She told herself, somewhat unconvincingly, that it wasn’t jealousy she felt, just a fierce conviction that Waverly deserved better than her high school boyfriend. 

Then Waverly was pushing her down on to the old couch in the Sheriff’s office and telling her she scared her but kissing her anyway, and suddenly there was nothing to be jealous of.

Until that night sitting in her cruiser, listening over a crackly radio to her girlfriend deny her existence. She knew that Waverly had done it to protect her, especially so soon after Willa, but it stung. Just when she felt like she was starting to get a foothold in this strange little town - a girlfriend, a good relationship with her boss, finally privy to the truth of what was really going on in Purgatory - suddenly she was on the outside again. Nicole was independent, always had been, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t feel the desire to be included. 

Looking back now, she’s a little embarrassed by her knee-jerk reaction; she cringes to think of turning away from Waverly when she tried to explain. She’d thought that rift was healed, until Jolene came along and exposed it in the most painful way. Those ugly feelings of jealousy and rejection that she stirred up had stayed with Nicole for longer than she’d care to admit, even after the difficult then conciliatory conversations she’d had with Waverly. 

She’d once admitted to Wynonna, at the end of a long day of Revenant drinking games and gnome wives, that she was jealous of her. She’d meant in the way that she was so unapologetically herself, how she was able to deal with people like Bunny Loblaw, but then there was her relationship with Waverly. 

It was unfair to envy the unshakable bond that they shared, and she’d never want to come between them, but sometimes they were so tight that it was difficult to see where she could fit. Every time that feeling started to creep in, she thought back to when Waverly betrayed her sister and risked everything to save her from the Widow’s bite. She remembered the moment that Wynonna placed all of her trust in her, when she asked her to get Alice to safety. She knew then that she fit.

Now, as she watches the sisters run around after the little girl, laughing and yelling, she can only smile. That bond between them is stronger than ever, only consolidated by the return of Alice to the family. After everything that they’ve gone through - finding then losing Willa, sending Alice away, the incalculable loss of Dolls, breaking the curse, the Garden - Nicole can never grudge them the closeness that they share. 

Because Nicole has gone through it all too, right alongside them. Willa had tried to kill her. Her heart broke along with Waverly’s when they handed that tiny baby over to Perry. She held it together long enough to help them through losing Dolls. By Wynonna’s side, she fought to rescue Waverly. She is bound to them both and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She’s pulled from her thoughts by the commotion heading her way, and puts her beer bottle down just before Alice throws herself at her, a solid weight crashing into her. “Nic, Nic, Nic,” she chants as she bounces in her lap and grins at her, a carbon copy of her mother. Wynonna and Waverly follow behind, Waverly wearing that look that she gets when she watches Nicole and Alice together. 

When Wynonna reaches them, she swipes Nicole’s untouched beer and takes a swig. “Thanks for the drink, Ginger Spice,” she says, swatting her shoulder as she walks by and into the house. 

“Give it back, Wynonna,” Waverly calls after her, but Nicole just laughs, content with Alice settling herself more firmly in her lap. Waverly runs a gentle hand through Nicole’s hair and stoops to press a kiss to her temple. 

“Are you coming in?” she asks. Nicole looks at Alice to find her gazing back at her, wide eyed and serious. 

“What do you think, buddy? Time to go in?” 

Alices scrunches her face up as she thinks, then cocks her head to the side and asks, “Can you read my story?” 

“Oh, I think so. Come on then.” Nicole stands up with Alice in her arms, then swings her over her shoulder fireman-style, as she loves. Alice’s squeals ring in her ears as they follow Waverly indoors, and Nicole knows that this is her family. This is where she belongs.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I’ve used these one-shots to try to get back into the writing mood to pick up a few ideas I’ve had for a while, so let’s see if it works...
> 
> Give me a shout on Twitter @HaughtToScot, should the feeling take you!


End file.
